Sneaky Ground!
 

Hey Guys, I'm still learning to fly for the most part and the landings are getting better finally! Well, I've noticed on some of my landings that I was closer to the ground then I thought. I'm coming in nice and easy then all the sudden "smack" I'll touch down harder then I planned.

Now, there are some things that might explain this for me. I'm blind in one eye so have no depth perception, been that way since birth so don't know any difference. I find that it's difficult for me stand back from the runway and judge if I'm coming in straight. So I almost have to stand right on the runway and line her up that way then step aside so I can tell the distance between the plane and ground. I sure need some advice for this so I'm not dangerous to others flying....I can't relay stand on the runway to land everytime. If I'm flying in a big field with no runway at all then I'm fine but landing right on an actual runway isn't easy. Do others have this trouble?

RE: Sneaky Ground!
 

pywackit,

Where do you fly in Wichita? Do you belong to WRCC?

Hogflyer

RE: Sneaky Ground!
 

In your shoes I'd get a good sim (G3, etc.).

Sim users also have no depth perception while flying in the sim.

Over time a sim user learns how to gauge distance from the runway using other cues.


Also put your plane about 10 yards from the end of the runway and walk to your normal pilotage point.

Have a good look at the width of the wings in relation to the width of the edge of the runway.

This should act as a reference for you as you are just about to cross the threshold.

If possible also ask someone to hold the plane as high as they can at about 10 yards from the threshold.

Again look at it from your normal position on the field.... paying special attention to the width of the wings in relation to the runway's width or other fixed cues.

RE: Sneaky Ground!
 

Hogflyer, I've been flying at BeechLake....we might have met it not even know it. I'm not a member and I haven't got my AMA either.

Objose, Excellent idea! I was just looking at a sim the other day...now I have another reason to buy one! LOL! Thanks!

RE: Sneaky Ground!
 

I remember reading an article on landing a while ago that was descrbing the ground smacking event you are describing. If I recall correctly, one of the reasons cited in the article is that the wind speed near the ground can be significantly lower than a little further up. When your plane suddenly reaches this calmer layer of air, there's a sudden loss of air speed so it drops faster. Does this happen to you on calm days, or perhaps just windy ones?

I have some idea what you're going through with depth perception. My right eye has a severe astigmatism. When it first developed, 15-20 years ago, my brain ended up adjusting for it by changing me to be left eyed. Since I'm right handed, this makes shooting a bit challenging. Anyway, I have a contact lense that corrects it some, but it's far from great. For flying and boat racing, I've learned to use background objects for orientation. As opjose said, find some reference points you can use to line up to the runway. If there are no good objects to sight, ask the club if you can put some low flags at the end corners of the runway, or even past the end of the runway to help you line up.

RE: Sneaky Ground!
 

Also, get some flights in around noonish (or sun-high as possible)

That way your shadow is as close to right under u as you can get it, then use the shadow to judge distance.

Alternatively...have a spotter with you. pick spots on the runway (threshold, target landing zone, treeline) and have them call them out as you pass over them.

You will only need to do these kinds of things a few times before your brain will take over and get it right without you having to think about it.

I right-handed left-eye dominant and my right eye is very light sensative, so i fly one-eyed alot, even with a hat and glasses on. It was hard for me at first because we dont even have a threshold. We have almost limitless runway as far as actually landing is concerned.


[link=http://local.live.com/?v=2&cid=A8C2EB6CA6DB6EB8!101]Our Field[/link]

RE: Sneaky Ground!
 

pywackit,

Just sent you a PM

Hogflyer

RE: Sneaky Ground!
 

This is all great news for me...so there is hope! Sorry to hear you guys are having eye troubles too....maybe 3 eyes would have been better..LOL!

Piper Chuck, I shoot too but I'm left handed and left eye dominant. I love shootin flintlocks but have only right handed rifles so it's different for me too. I can still shoot good but not for long since my eye gets strained easier these days. Oh well...;)

RE: Sneaky Ground!
 

The great news is, it is only a matter of time and you will have it down without even thinking about it.
I stayed away from the shadow method because some days there is no shadow and when there is the position changes with time of day and even time of year.
A spotter is nice when you have one available.
My favorite is fixed objects, Example:
At one of the fields I fly at there is a row of trees off the end of the runway, if I make my turn for final between the two tallest trees (the trees are off in the distance) I line up perfect with the runway every time.

RE: Sneaky Ground!
 

Hey Guys, Hogflyer and I went flying yesterday evening and it was great! He showed me what he could do with plane and I was amazed, then he showed me what he could do with my plane! Then I was scared! LOL! He showed me how to maintain altitude and a basic pattern and then had me do a few figure 8's. Those 8's were kinda distorted but still an 8, right? I did one cross wind take off that was shaky but still made it up anyway...scared people with that one! Hogflyer took off the rest of times and well as landings for me since I tried to stretch the glide path and stalled big time! I only broke the prop but I was prepared....I had a 5 more in the bag! LOL! The last flight Hogflyer was at the control and she quit on us so Hogflyer glided her all over the place and had fun with her. Then he did a sweet landing and my knees finally stopped shaking. I thought this evening went fine and Thanks Hogflyer!

RE: Sneaky Ground!
 

pywackit did a great job of flying after he settled down. He has a solid, good flying trainer, and the right attitude - he's not in a rush just be able to solo, but listened and learned. Amazing what a trainer is capable of isn't it. It can be flown through basic aerobatics, or trimmed on dead stick to fly just above a stall for a couple of minutes of some of that wonderful, relaxing, silent flight. I think the instruction was well worth the time spent - it really showed in the end. One of the other club members also commented he could see a big difference between the first and last flights.

When I started learning landings, I was glad we had beans surrounding the field and that is where I landed - not on the field. It just takes some time before you learn where the plane is and what it's doing on landing.

Now get into the club so I fly your plane some more :D:D.

Hogflyer

RE: Sneaky Ground!
 

Only if you let me fly it too! ;)

RE: Sneaky Ground!
 

Hogflyer, I've got question for you, on previous take offs that I've done, I've been standing on the runway watching the plane take off and I've had no trouble doing take offs this way. I suppose that's against the club rules? Trying to take off standing to the side is difficult for me to tell if I'm going straight and true before lifting off.

RE: Sneaky Ground!
 

pywackit,

Correct, you’re not supposed to be out on the runway while any planes are active unless your are retrieving a plane. We have that rule in place to comply with the AMA safety code since we are an AMA chartered club. You’re supposed to set the plane down like we did, walk to the pilots’ station and then taxi and take off. If it’s a direct cross wind, and the Field N*z* isn’t there, you can take off across the runway like I did on the last flight (after you get more experience), but still have to land with a cross wind – you don’t want to land towards the pits, and can’t fly behind the pilots station (don’t pay attention to my last landing heading towards the pilots station, I was trying to keep from walking out too far, and knew what I was doing on the landing – remember the s-turns before I landed, that was to keep from floating to the other end of the field). Your plane used all of 30 ft. to get airborne heading across the runway, so distance is not an issue, just the safety aspect.

Since almost all of the flying will be parallel to the runway, along with landing, it’ll soon become second nature. You are getting the rectangular pattern down quite well for the first day out there, and you’ll see how that translates to the landing pattern and taking off also as you gain more experience. It just takes time and patients. A year from now you'll wonder what was so hard about all this landing stuff as your flying aerobatics like Jim (the guy we shared the frequency with).

Hogflyer